1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate in general to an apparatus and method for processing a medical image, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for processing a medical image in order to quantify the size of a body lumen, such as a blood vessel or urinary tract. More in particular, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for processing a medical image in order to accurately measure the degree of stenosis in a body lumen, such as a blood vessel or urinary tract.
2. Description of the Related Art
An apparatus for processing a medical image acquires an image of an internal structure of an object through non-invasive inspection, thereby allowing a medical practitioner to observe inner parts of a human body by imaging and processing details of internal structures, organs, and flow of fluids. Medical images output by the apparatus are then used to diagnose the medical condition and disease of a patient. The apparatus may be a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, a computed tomography (CT) apparatus, an X-ray apparatus, or an ultrasound apparatus, and is configured to process scanned image data and create medical images. Medical images may include 2D images, e.g. projections or slices, and 3D images.
A CT apparatus may provide a cross-section image of an object to thereby allow a user to observe a non-overlapping representation of an internal structure (e.g., organs such as the kidneys and the lungs), compared to a general X-ray apparatus.
However, since a CT image has a resolution of about 0.7 mm, it is difficult to image blood vessels having a diameter of several millimeters (mm). Furthermore, some blood vessels such as coronary arteries may move due to the heart beats during a CT scan. Such a movement may cause various artifacts such as motion artifacts in a reconstructed CT image.
To diagnose blood vessel diseases such as coronary artery stenosis and cardiovascular diseases, it is necessary to accurately interpret a medical image and detect abnormal blood vessels. However, as described above, due to the small diameter of the blood vessels and movements thereof during imaging, it is difficult to accurately interpret a CT image and diagnose a blood vessel disease.
Thus, there is a need for a method and apparatus for processing a medical image in order to correctly analyze a CT image and accurately diagnose a blood vessel disease such as stenosis.